Xtreme575

Robin, this isn't a dumb question at all! I'm glad you posed it, I've read all the posts and have learned a lot for when Paco's primaries come in! I can't wait!

Great news! I'm still waiting for something to happen with Paco. I'm getting the impression that he won't molt his primaries this season, I think he's still to young at 7 months... Here's hoping!

Welcome! Great to hear from you and your fids! I'm looking forward to reading more from you. How old are your parrots?

Welcome to you all! I look forward to reading more about your fids!

Jill, how old is Harvey now? And how much is he talking/mimicking? Paco is also making really strange noises that I have never heard from him before, and he has become much more vocal. I've been wondering if he is preparing to surprise me by reciting some great work of rhetoric or something. So far, it's all been anti-climatic though. I think its a riot you pretend you are texting, I have to do the same thing, but haven't had to lay on the floor yet! Ha ha!

:woohoo: Oh my! What have I gotten myself into! Paco is just starting to become a little more independent of me, starting to refuse to step up everytime I ask, choosing to play on his gym instead. When his clip finally grows out, I have flying to bite me to look forward to! I don't mind a little love nip now and then, parrot or otherwise, but I'm not into the biting thing! LOL!

I have an acquaintance with a 21 year old female CAG. I have yet to meet her personally, but we have talked about getting together with our greys. She is flighted and her owner is now "semi-retired" so they hang out quite a bit. He told me that he lost track of how many phrases she says, but she certainly can request whatever it is she wants, and she has never seen a closed cage! He left it open for her whether home or not! I can't leave Paco alone for a minute or he's hopping off looking for me and getting into all sorts of mischief along the way, I've tested this... Besides a grey, there is a local amazon parrot that is reported to be the oldest parrot in the city I live in. There are vet records for her that go back 65 years, so she is as at least that old. It was this story that helped me find an avian vet, I now take Paco to her vet. Here is the link, and a newspaper article about her in case anyone can't open the link... She lives in a feed store! http://www.bclocalnews.com/fraser_valley/abbynews/community/80300327.html "HI, LORETTA Loretta – a yellow-naped Amazon parrot – is believed to be Abbotsford’s oldest pet, at age 65. She has become a bit of a celebrity since being featured in The News in June, said Shauna Roe of The Valley Feed Bag, where Loretta resides. “A lot of people come in to visit her, and they didn’t even know she was here (before the article).” Roe said Loretta is doing as well as expected for a bird her age – around 100 in human years – and still emits her favourite phrases such as, “Hi, Loretta!” and “Bye, Loretta!” on a regular basis. Her trademark hysterical laugh is still a crowd-pleaser, too. Loretta has resided at The Valley Feed Bag for about 20 years, after being donated by a customer following the theft of the store’s former parrot, Gus." Ryan

Alright, I can't believe I am about to endorse a product from an infomercial... However, I am NOT a morning person. I need a lot of wake-up time enjoying my coffee in silence before I can even think. Anyway, in order to maximize my morning meditation prior to starting to cut up veggies for Paco's breakfast, I decided to try a Slap-Chop. For those of you who may not have seen these, they are a kitchen gadget that has a number of blades. Veggies get placed under a plastic base and you simply need to push the handle down and release several times. What used to take me about 20 minutes to prepare, now takes moments, AND as an added benefit, I am able to chop up the veggies into small enough pieces that I have noticed way less food stuck to my floor and walls! So, the Slap Chop and Shark Steam Mop are my new best friends since becoming a parront! The steam mop is amazing too, no chemicals, lots of humidity, and gets the dried grape skins (I feed a few of those whole - just for Paco's fun)off my hardwood with hardly any effort!

I had hoped to take time off work when I first got my grey in September, but it just couldn't happen. So, he has been staying at home alone since day 1. Perhaps you could start going out for a bit each day, increasing the amount of time to help him get accostomed to having TV or the radio as his company. The other thing is, I never know how long my day is going to be. Sometimes Im gone 7 hours, othertimes 12+. But I sure try to make up the time with quality when I can't give home quantity! The only other information that I can offer, coming home and seeing how excited Paco is to see me back is the most rewarding part of my day!

I agree with Dan, joining this forum is probably one of the best starting places. I think I read most of the forum before moving forward. I also really enjoyed "Parrots for Dummies". I can't remember the name of the author and the book is under Paco' cage, he is still asleep, but it gives great overall parrot information with quite a bit of grey specific info as well. I loved it for when I first brought Paco home, it really helped me get acquainted properly!

I usually cut the mash recipes in half as I only have one Grey as well. Then I spread the mash over clean ice cube trays and freeze it for individual servings that I store in Tupperware in the freezer. That makes it easy to heat up in the microwave in the mornings (I let mine sit so I won't have hot spots that could burn his tongue or crop) that I feed. Veggies next, then he gets pellets just as I leave. That way he eats his veggies before his preferred pellets are offered. I get up an hour earlier than I did pre-fid, but he is worth it! Plus I'm excited to see him each morning!

As usual, Dave's advice is excellent. One other thing that my vet does, he asks me to stand out of the birds sight during the examination in order to not have him associate any of the "trauma" with me. I'm still in the room, just in a corner where I'm not seen. As soon as the exam is over the vet let's me come back and "save" my parrot, this really makes me look like a hero! Good luck!

Hahaha! That's great Dan! I'll have to keep that in mind if/when Paco moves past his whistling and starts talking! I guess I won't want to teach him "Pizza" or I'll put on another 20 pounds! The only time he will eat cheese is when he gingerly takes a bite of the top layer of the pizza I'm about to eat!

A monkey! LMFAO! Sorry, excuse my language. Paco has never been mistaken for another animal, however he has caused shrieks when we've been out due to people not thinking he was "real" until he moved. I had a dog incident too, but I was in the car, using a drive through with Paco in his carrier. They gave me doggy biscuits just assuming that it was a dog, rather than a parrot.

Wow! This whole saga has made me just sick for you right from the beginning! I've been following your original thread from the day Sinbad spooked. I'm so hopeful that this is Sinbad, and I'm extra hopeful that you can get him back from this low-life (if it is Sinbad). I really think you need to talk to a lawyer really quickly! There may be a way to get some sort of injunction with police assistance or using the SPCA. Something lawful and not causing you to be the victim of extortion (or for parronts, kidnapping). In Canada we could have him charged with possession of stolen property, I don't know if you have something equivalent, a lawyer can help.

I have to agree, Paco wasn't supposed to come to me, he was intended to go to a woman who had an accident, and, to my good fortune, I got Paco. The lady had requested that he be clipped, so I got a clipped baby. I'm going to let him grow out. Paco also chews his feathers on his chest, I really believe it is related to his frustration at not being able to fly, even though he really tries. Don't be hasty in your decision, it's a long process to have the feathers grow back...

trail_rider, we all look forward to hearing from you! Whatever anyone posts may result in new lessons for all of us from another member with the right knowledge or experience! It's all learning for many of us, so enjoy the support of all these kind people, I've realized quickly, parrot people are the best people! As I said, I've been trying to get my baby Grey to stop chewing his feathers for the past 4 months. A lifetime to me, but I keep trying to be patient, and hoping the advice I have received will do the trick... I'm noticing a difference, I'm just not always sure, it's day by day. Love your bird, feathered or not, they still are so lovable! I just want cuddle up with Jay's cockatoo!

Wow Jay! Freddy has sure plucked, but he still looks so loveable!

Hi trail_rider, I would listen to Dave on the food. Keep his diet as consistent as possible from what it was with his previous owner. Now isn't the time to worry about his diet, let him get used to things at your home first, and then consider cleaning up his diet. Even things that seem like no big deal to us can be a huge deal for a Grey, including having to pick through their regular food to get what they want as opposed to dipping in their beak with abandon, knowing they are getting what they expect. Jay has also given you great advice with the aloe vera. Just know, parrots have their own time, and it can be sooooo frustrating because that time seems to take eons in our time. Patience and consistency is key. I'm dealing with a feather chewer, it's a day by day process. Lots of soakings and aloe, and even more love and attention.

Congrats on Jasper's arrival, and welcome to the forum. It's true, the fruit really impacts the droppings, but when I brought my guy home at 12 weeks I remember worrying about his watery droppings and I was only feeding grapes as fruit (with a good mix of veggies and pellets). Anyway, it turned out to just be the stress of the new environment. Even though his disposition was great, he was friendly with me right away, and it appeared that he was taking it in stride, his dropping reveal the truth. Even now, at nearly 7 months, when I take him to a new environment, watery droppings. I'd keep an eye on it, lay off the fruit a bit (mine loves broccoli, carrots, jalepeno peppers, green beans, etc for breakfast) and make sure he's drinking and then see how he is in a couple of days. If no improvement you might want to consult with your avian vet.

Hi there, rest assured, between Dan and Dave (something must have happened to Dave's post) you will be getting excellent advice. When either address my concerns, along with others, I sit up and listen!! As hard as it is, I'd listen to Dave and let the bird deal with it's feather.

Paco loves to be touched, just not in that area. When I got him at about 3.5 months, he was already chewing the ends of the feathers in a straight line, right across his chest. I've had him into the vet twice, but the vet told me that there is nothing physically wrong with him. However, it seems that Dan is right on the money. I came home tonight to find a couple of small grey feathers that have no defects on the floor. So I guess he must be starting his first molt, I just didn't expect it this soon! Dan, I have to credit the forum with the early aloe misting, as well as the majority of the good habits I've tried to diligently follow. Grey owners all seem to acquire encyclopedic knowledge of birds, and those of us who are new, sure can learn a lot! So I'm trying to take in as much as possible to keep my fids happy! My finches just finished their molts, I guess I better get the vacume out again! Now off to further research a molt for a CAG...

Ooops, sorry, I double posted...<br><br>Post edited by: Xtreme575, at: 2010/01/01 02:55

Thanks Jill and Dan, Jill, this is even further down his chest, near where the keel is. Dan, would he be in a molt this early? He will be 7 months on January 10th. I'd love it if he was, maybe we could dump some of these damned clipped primaries! I am spraying him with aloe every second day. The non-aloe days are for a shower. Thanks for your help guys!

Hi all, just to let you all know, Paco and I made it home from the holidays safe and sound. I think he really liked all the excitement and noise that my family made while we were there. They were all blown away by how well behaved he was, and I was proud that he started to step up for others besides me... However, that is not the reason for my post. As some of you may recall, I have had Paco to the vet twice now for his chewing feathers directly under his crop. Tonight I was amazed at how many white downy feathers were showing through, so I took a better look and it looks as though he has been chewing even more, making the grey feathers more thin, thereby revealing the white down more. I wanted to feel for some pin feathers, to see if that might be what is irritating him, so I moved my hand in to just feel what was happening in that area. He protested. No real noises or anything, but kept pushing my fingers away with his beak, and when I persisted he put enough pressure on my finger between his beak to let me know that he wasn't going to tolerate my carrying on. What I did feel felt kind of puffy, but I don't know if it is because he is a bit pudgy (God I wish he wasn't clipped). My question is, do your Greys allow you to touch them just under their crops, right at the top of their chest? I can touch Paco anywhere else on his body, but not there. Is that some sort of sacred area for Greys????? Anyway, I'm feeling frustrated, and as much as Paco and I like our current vet, I am going to make an appointment to see another avian vet. For those of you in BC, I'm going to try to get in to see Dr. Anne McDonald, I hear she is probably one of the best avian vets in the province, it's a minimum two hour drive, but I just don't feel satisfied that this happy, well adjusted parrot has some mental disorder. I think there is more to it, and the puffiness has made me feel this even more strongly. I'd appreciate any of your thoughts, you are all so helpful! Happy New Year! Ryan